Whitby, Scarborough and Boulby

[PinzaC55]

Their is also the by product rock salt to be got away , masses of it , many of the 'potash' trains rumbling through Cleveland from Boulby are in fact carrying rock salt for gritting roads. I'm sure with an existing railway connected to a major port being so close by they must be considering a rail head even if it only carries a small proportion of product.

That is heresy on this thread. There is a rare species of dragonfly adjacent to the track at Egton, thus all rock salt must be airlifted out by helicopter.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

Well, the fumes and downdraft from the 'copter should either suffocate the larvae or blast them into the next county.....

Looks like a railway's a better idea. Hmm. A 60mph rare dragonfly swatter anyone?

[harvester]

York Potash now estimate there is over 6 billion tonnes of high grade potash. At estimated mining rates of 690 million tonnes provides 50 years work, so the mine would have a very long life.

[cambois]

Looks like 2 million tonnes a day. Which strikes me as impossible to physically handle and ship anywhere - for comparison a big power station like Longannet only takes about 5 million tonnes a year and Hunterston perhaps 10 million tonnes pa, so probably lots more than 50 years mining to be had.

[PinzaC55]

690 million divided by 50 divided by 365 is actually 37,808 tons per day.

[harvester]

I don't think we can "divide out" to arrive at a figure that will actually be brought out of the ground on a weekly basis ect. The surveyors say that after"finding" an estimated reserve, every 690 million tons would provide mining work for 50 years not how much would be brought to the surface.

[PinzaC55]

I was more interested in the arithmetic than the practicalities.

[mr B]

BIG export order ?

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

There's an idea. Build the line to US loading gauge and borrow a Big Boy or Challenger to perform the opening ceremony and haul the first train?

Too much single malt....

[mr B]

just for you BB I'll put the helpers on

mr B

[mr B]

nothing too big BB , just a mallet and a 14 wheeler (sant fe) , with bumble bee .

[Blink Bonny]

[woberty]

Not been on for a while, ladies and gentlemen.

Am i correct they are looking at mining something else not just potash.
Been talking to a few locals in and around Sneaton, today who reckon they want to test drill in 2014.

[PinzaC55]

Don't know about "something else" unless it means rock salt?

[richard]

The rock salt (halite) is relatively thin under Boulby, so one assumes the same is true at the new site. As well as potash and halite, the Zechstein Evaporite Series includes anhydrite. Probably not the cheapest anhydrite in the world, but if you're already mining the potash then it could make it economic.